.Dd Sep 16, 2006
.Dt DICTC 7
.Os
.Sh NAME
.Nm dictc
.Nd Dictionary protocol client
.Sh SYNOPSIS
.Nm dictc
.Bk -words
.Op Fl p Ar port
.Op Ar hostname
.Ek
.Sh DESCRIPTION
This is a client only program of dictionary server protocol described in
RFC 2229. This program uses TCP to connect to a dictionary server on port
2628. Dict client uses editline, history and lineinfo API available from
histedit.h.
.Pp
.Nm 
options are as follows:
.Bl -tag -width "-f fileXXX"
.It Fl s
specify the dict server for the client to connect
.It Fl p
specify the TCP port to connect to, default is 2628
.It Fl d
turn on the socket debug option
.El
.Pp
.Nm 
commands are as follows
.Bl -tag -width "-f fileXXX"
.It Li define [ name of the database ] word
this command is used to retrieve an information for a given word
from one or all databases. To specify all databases use *.
.Pp
For example:
.Bd  -literal -offset indent
define * listen
.Ed
.Pp 
tries to query the server and list all possible meanings for the word
listen on all databases referred as *
.It match [ name of database ] [ type of strategy ] word
command is used to match word in the database using a specified strategy
* is a global match, which matches all the databases present on the
dictionary server.
For example:
.Pp
.Bd  -literal -offset indent
match * re listen
.Ed
.Pp
tries to query all databases for any words that match the regular expression,
specified as 
.Em re
for the word listen
.El
.Sh HISTORY
The
.Nm
program first appeared in 
.Ox 4.0

